Okay, I know I am soo late getting this in for the technique tutorial for my Feb.-March newsletter, but here it is. The technique is Watercolor emboss resist. Here are the supplies you need:Inks: Embossing ink such as Versamark or white craft inkPaper: watercolor paper or whisper white or even confetti whiteTools: white or clear embossing powder, heat gun, watercolor crayons, watercolor brush or aquapainter, water

Step one: stamp your solid image and emboss with white or clear EP.Step two: scribble with your watercolor crayons over the white space around your stamped image. You can even scribble on top of the embossed image as it will resist the crayons when wet.Step three: take a moderately wet watercolor brush (a medium one is good for large areas like this) and wet your scribbles to blend the color. Try to go in different directions to evenly blend your color. Do not soak your paper. Just wet it enough to blend.Step four: cut your paper, embelish, or even stamp over it for added dimension and add the piece to your card.

Monday, February 26, 2007

These cards are my last contribution for now to my charity challenge for this month. I made 10 each of these cards for Welcome Baby cards for our local crisis pregnancy center. I used the Wash day wheel, and for the scalloped edge I used the small corner rounder punch with the corner guard off. I think they turned out cute, but they were a pain to color with colored pencils. I just don't write very much anymore and anything I do like that with a pencil hurts my hand pretty quick. But alas we always labor in love, so I am glad that these turned out. They weren't that hard to do.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

I have been sitting on this idea for a couple of weeks now. I wanted to use the Petals wheel to make some faux Au Chocolate paper for a card. I also wanted to incorporate some clothing elements into it that I saw in a Paper Crafts magazine. I wanted to make an odd sized card (4x9) because I thought that would look the best for this layout. Boy, it is very funny how what you think in your head doesn't always work out when you put it on paper. I like the regular sized card much better than the tall card. What do you think?

These cards also showcase two of the items in Stampin' UP!'s March special. You are using the Petals wheel and Polka Dots and Paisley. I used Very Vanilla Paper (4x4 for the tall call and 2x 5 1/2 for the standard card), and chocolate chip. I used the small oval punch and word window punch for the belt loops. The belt is our wonderful twill tape. I also embossed the images stamped on the chocolate layer as the Very Vanilla craft ink just wasn't popping. Gel pen makes the lovely stitches on the belt loops.

My wonderful father is going to be starting a new job this coming week after 27 years with the same company. He is retiring on Wed. from the old job and going to a new company on Thursday. Big changes ahead. I made this card for him to say, "Good Luck" and to let him know we are all praying for him this week. It was a quick card, and I am sure if I could have spent more time on it, I could have made it better, but I think he will be pleased.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

I made these thank you notes for a friend who sells Pampered Chef. I hope she likes them. I used the Backyard BBQ set and the tiny alphabets from 2005 Holiday mini, and the Much Appreciated sets. I liked the different color scheme. Not too girly, not to formal. Kind of different. I'll have to try that color combo again.

Friday, February 16, 2007

I made 18 of these tonight for a friend who is having a boy. The white card comes out, and they can put a picture of the baby under the duck, and then on the back is stamped with announcement info. and a saying. I used a very old Stampin' Up! set for the duck, a Wordsworth stamp set for the annoucement info. and God's Blessings (SU!) for the saying. I think they turned out great. This is another variation on the Feb. sketch challenge for cards using this reverse closure. The ribbons actually close this pocket card, but the square could if I wanted it to. I thought it was a fun variation.

I made these totes and baby announcements to donate to the local Blue Ridge Women's Center to give to the ladies who decide to keep their babies instead of choosing abortion. I have been wanting to do something for this wonderful ministry, and I finally had time to do at least a little something. I wish I could have done more, but I will in the future. I made 6 sets of these: 3 for boys and 3 for girls. I will probably do something a little different for next time. I think these turned out okay and were simple. I used up some old papers too. I challenge all the ladies in my stamping group to contribute something to this ministry for my Feb. charity challenge. Ya'll can do it. You have until March 7th to get items to me. Thanks.

Monday, February 12, 2007

I know I already set up the color challenges for February, but this color combo is so classy. Try Blush blossom, Basic Black and white for a very crisp and bold color scheme. The blush is so pretty and soft and the black and white so bold. It's great. This is the new Polka Dot and Paisley set coming up in the Spring Mini catalog. It has a great special connected with it that I will let you in on very soon. Plus I will be having a stamp camp to go along with it. It's that great!! Stay tuned and enjoy this card.

Friday, February 9, 2007

I totally can't believe this, but I participated in the Splitcoast Feb Virtual Stamp Night last weekend, and I actually won! This was my first time participating in any kind of challenge on this site, and I can't believe this! Here is my card. It was for an inspiration challenge where you had to make a card using elements from this incredibly yummy set of dishes. The dishes had chocolate, latte, and pink stripes, dots, wavy lines, a cake on a raised pedistal (spelling?) and circles. I used most of the elements and came up with this pretty quickly. I still am reeling from this. I am not naturally creative in making cards, so this was hard. I usually copy stuff from others, or at least use their basic template. Anyway, had this pretty paper lying around from Target and the stamp from the Michael's dollar bin. What do you all think? I am definitely doing this again.

Here is the little candy treat box I did for my January Stamp class. Finally got it off the camera and into the computer so I could post it here. The base of the mailbox is a 4 piece nugget box. I can give you a copy of the template if you want. The "top" of the mailbox is simply a 6x2 3/4 inch piece of the lovely double sided designer series paper from the Winter Mini. This box needs lots of stickly strip or liquid monoadhesive to get it to stay together, but it is worth it. The front and back of the mailbox is just a piece I traced and cut out to finish it off. Tag/flag is made from the terrific small and regular tag punches. So easy. Enjoy.

Here are the body sculptures that Nathan created. The Brain is the yellow sculpture with the cerebrum and cerubellum (I hope I spelled that right), a spongy bone marrow piece with veins and arteries around it, and the heart, lungs, and diaphram scuplture. The amazing thing is that Nathan doesn't look at pictures while he is creating these things. He has seen pictures, and he then remembers it in his head to build this stuff. I love to watch him create, as he knows exactly what he is doing, and what pieces of Legos he is looking for. He doesn't do this in a random way. I think he might be an architect or engineer some day.

I had to put a couple of non-stamping related things on here. I wrote in our Christmas letter about Nathan's finesse with the legos and all the amazing things he builds with them. Sadly a bunch of photos that we took of his creations from this past Spring and Summer got lost on a hard drive that died. He made an amazing rendition of the rib cage complete with lungs and heart inside and the backbone in back. I mean it was so real looking. And then he made a Shamu family that was out of this world. Looked just like his stuffed Shamu from Sea World. But here are a few pictures of his planets, Saturn V, and our minivan. The planets are the Moon, Mars, Earth, Venus, and the planet the wacko- evolutionary- pseudo- scientists think crashed into the Earth to create the Moon. Silly "science" is what we call it.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Here are pictures of my new and improved and more organized stamping room. Thanks, Mom and Dad for my birthday gift of new shelves and organizer blocks. I love it. My boys come in and stamp with me now on a folding table I set up in front of my desk. I just have to get some smaller chairs to go in the room so it doesn't block my way to the stamps on the shelves. Oh, and we painted the walls too. They were a very dingy white/off white when we started. I just have to add my artwork to the walls. I made a very pretty black and white drawing in college in my art class that I want to hang up. Plus a bulletin board. Those will come later.

Monday, February 5, 2007

This is the second template for the card sketch challenges for the month of February. It looks complicated but it isn't. This card also uses the second color challenge for the month: Buckaroo blue, marigold morning, old olive and pixie pink.

Instructions.Cut a sheet of paper 8 1/4 by 5 1/4. Score it from each end at 2 3/4 (from long ends). In my sample this is the marigold morning piece.Cut a coordinating sheet of paper 3x 5 1/2 inches. (Old Olive in the sample)Now take your punces and punch out a large circle or large square (1 3/8") in the top and bottom flaps of the main folded piece. See pictures for placement.Now it's up to you what stamps you use for these punch out windows and for mats for the images. Use the 1 1/4 inch circle or square punches to make quick layers for your images.This card uses the SO VERY sell-a-bration set to decorate a quick card for someone special.

Friday, February 2, 2007

My son, Nathan, and I made these name frames this afternoon. Nathan stamped and drew the images in his, and I stamped the letters and background. The images are a helicopter, Rocket from Little Einsteins, an alien spacecraft, and the Magic School bus in outer space. He loves Space and Rockets. I think it turned out great and is truly a personal work of art.

John's name frame I did all by myself as he isn't quite up to the artist level as his brother, but John is loving playing with all my stamps and supplies these days.

The frames are $3 frames from Wal-Mart and it took very little paper to make the mat and letters. You have to use 12x12 paper for the mat.

MELISSA SIBERT

I am a wife to my wonderful husband and a stay at home mom to my two precious boys. I am also a professionally trained pastry chef. I am an Independent Consultant for Jordan Essentials. I love to spend time with my family. A good book, some uplifting but peppy music, baking, or some time paper crafting helps me unwind after a busy day with my boys.

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You are welcome to use any ideas seen here to spark your personal creativity. I do request that you do not copy items seen and use them for any contest entries or monetary gain.

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